This invention generally relates to toy sleds or similar, non-motorized riding devices having wheels. More particularly, this invention relates to toy sleds for which the wheels are either permanently or removably mounted thereon.
A floor scooter is a well known, popular, toy vehicle that simulates sledding on snow or ice, without needing the snow or ice. All that is needed is a fairly smooth surface. These scooters generally include a flat base piece, such as a piece of plywood, metal or plastic, with wheels mounted on the bottom of the base. Each wheel generally rotates independently of the other wheels. The base piece may have handles to improve retention of the rider on the scooter. Typically the base piece is shaped and sized so that only one child rider can fit on the scooter comfortably. Examples of base shapes include square, rectangular, oval or circular, and crescent shaped. Common sizes of scooters include 12 inch and 16 inch diameters.
The scooters are usually used indoors in school gymnasiums and other such indoor locations, and also in outdoor locations. Outdoors, scooters are used on secured asphalt or concrete surfaces and other generally smooth areas. Such scooters are well known both by kids and parents, largely because many kids use these scooters for activities in school, as did their parents during their childhood. As known by anyone who has ever ridden on one, these scooters provide an exhilarating ride, but generally only to the one person sitting on it.
What is desired is a wheeled toy, similar to a scooter, that can accommodate multiple riders and that is more stable.
The present invention is directed to a play sled that is constructed to accept, and to have removable therefrom, a floor scooter having wheels or casters. In some embodiments, the wheels are permanently mounted. When the scooter is attached to the body of the sled, the wheels of the floor scooter are the wheels that provide mobility to the sled. When desired, the floor scooter can be removed from the sled, allowing use of the scooter alone.
The sled is preferably shaped and sized to accommodate at least two floor scooters and also several riders, thus multiplying the amount of fun that is obtained. Additionally, multiple sleds can be attached together to provide a chain or train of sleds.
In one particular aspect, this invention is directed to a toy sled that has a body and a wheeled item, such as a floor scooter, attached to the body. The body has a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface adapted for receiving a rider thereon and the bottom surface adapted for receiving the wheeled item. The wheeled item, which comprises a base piece and a plurality of wheels rotatably connected to the base piece, is removably secured to the bottom surface of the body. In some embodiments, the wheeled item is permanently secured to the bottom surface of the body. For preferred aspects of the invention, multiple wheeled items, such as two floor scooters, are attached to the body.
In another particular aspect, this invention is directed to a toy sled that has a body having a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface is adapted for receiving a rider thereon. The bottom surface has a first scooter engagement region and a second scooter engagement region, the first scooter engagement region adapted to releaseably receive a first scooter and the second scooter engagement region adapted to releaseably receive a second scooter. The body could alternately or additionally be adapted to receive other wheeled items, such as skateboards.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent with the aid of the following drawings and description.